Chapter 39: Becoming a Butcher? You Are Mine!

Upon hearing the words of the sinister leader, Li Yan was filled with rage. Pointing an angry finger at the leader’s nose, he cursed, "If you have any guts, fight me one-on-one! What kind of skill is it to use them as human shields?"

He had expected his words to provoke the leader. Instead, the leader did not grow angry; he laughed. The leader’s laughter was chilling as he said, "Only a weakling like you would care about the lives of these people. They will always be your Achilles' heel. I don't care about your one-on-one challenges. All I want is to see you suffer."

Li Yan was even more incensed, shocked by the leader’s utter depravity. He tried to fight for the people again, but with a mere flick of the leader’s hand, Li Yan was sent flying by a burst of energy. Seeing Li Yan in this state, the leader laughed even more gleefully.

Li Yan crashed heavily to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood. Clutching his chest, he struggled to climb back to his feet. Once he stood, he rushed toward the leader, but the leader instantly immobilized him. Coldly, the leader said, "Stand there and watch their fate unfold."

Li Yan struggled with all his might, desperate to break his limits and his bonds, but it was useless. The leader’s power was infinitely greater than his own.

Li Yan watched helplessly as the leader threw one of the humans onto the ground. The person landed with a sickening thud. Though they were initially unharmed, the leader approached Li Yan, possessed his body, and forced him to pick up a blade to kill the fallen person. Without his own consciousness, Li Yan hacked at the victim with the knife.

When Li Yan regained control of his senses, he saw the cold corpse and the blood staining his own body. Panic, fear, despair, and confusion washed over him; he wanted nothing more than to flee. But the leader had no intention of letting him go so easily.

Silent tears streamed down Li Yan’s face. The leader possessed his body once more, whispering into his ear, "I want you to watch yourself become a butcher. Only then will you truly belong to me."

As those words faded, Li Yan’s hand gripped the slaughtering knife again, and he was forced to march toward the other captives, killing them one by one. Only after the leader had used Li Yan to butcher them all did he release his control.

Li Yan collapsed to the ground in despair, staring blankly at the corpses, sobbing uncontrollably. Yet, his breakdown lasted only a moment before he seized the knife and attacked the leader again.

The leader seemed to have anticipated this. He turned into a phantom and drifted beside Li Yan, incessantly whispering, "You killed them. You are the one who murdered them all. You are a sinner; you don't deserve to live."

His voice was hypnotic and maddening. Disturbed, Li Yan squeezed his eyes shut and covered his ears, shouting, "Stop it! You killed them! It has nothing to do with me!"

Even as he covered his ears, strange sonic waves erupted within the Hall of Sinister Wonders, piercing right through his defenses. The sound was sharp and agonizing. Unable to fight back, he could only huddle in helpless pain.

At that moment, the leader reappeared behind him, grabbing Li Yan’s hands and forcing them away from his ears. Li Yan’s eardrums ruptured, blood streaming out. Soon, blood began to seep from the corners of his eyes and across his body, causing him excruciating pain. Yet, because he possessed regenerative powers, he was trapped in an endless cycle of injury and healing.

Li Yan struck out at the leader in desperation, but his blade passed through nothing but mist. A sense of hopelessness took hold.

The atmosphere in the Hall began to shift. The original bright, sunny colors faded, replaced by encroaching darkness and eerie, crimson hues. The leader’s form vanished, leaving Li Yan to pace the hall alone. He tried to escape, but when he reached the doors, they would not budge. He scanned his surroundings, only to find that all the furnishings had disappeared. The hall was now a vast, empty, pitch-black void. Li Yan walked forward, trembling with terror.

Suddenly, a splashing sound echoed behind him. Li Yan turned to look and was horrified to find that a large pool of water had appeared out of nowhere. Standing at the water's edge was a dripping, eight-legged mutant water ghoul.

At first, the creature merely followed him, but once it realized it had been spotted, it lunged. Its tentacles stretched out, lashing toward Li Yan. He hacked them off with his blade, but they regenerated instantly.

Li Yan realized the truth: the mutant water ghoul was likely a manifestation of the leader, and this was an elaborate illusion designed specifically for him. He had fallen right into the trap.

He searched for a way to shatter the illusion, but found no solution. Deciding to provoke his tormentor, he shouted, "You’re nothing but a coward who has to hide behind illusions! If you have the nerve, let me out and face me like a man!"

The water ghoul chuckled. "I didn't expect you to figure it out so quickly. But even in an illusion, I can still kill you."

With that, the creature shifted back into the form of the sinister leader. He looked at Li Yan sternly and commanded, "Come here."

Li Yan scoffed, wondering if the leader truly thought he was that obedient. One second he was mocking the leader’s mental state, and the next, his own body moved involuntarily toward him. Shocked, Li Yan tried to force himself to stop, but he could only hold his position for a moment before he was drawn inexorably to the leader’s side.

The leader beamed with delight. "Since you’re going to die anyway," he said with a smile, "let me tell you exactly how it’s going to be."